A Flower of Faith
by Tossino
Summary: What happens when the lonely and left out Hyuuga Hanabi meets the misunderstood monster Zetsu? Zetsu x Hanabi fanfic.


When you read the summary under the title you must've thought "Zetzu x Hanabi? What the..." or something like that. x'D Well... It is a strange pairing. But that's what makes it fun, ne? And even if you thought that you decided to check it out. So...

I have no idea how old Hanabi is here... But at least not old enough for any romance. x'''D So this is just friendship, 'kay?

And before you start to read. Zetsu's light side speaks "like this", and the dark side speaks "**like this.**" Got it? Good. xD Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: A strange encounter**

The sun stood high in the sky over the village hidden in the leaf, Konoha. Birds were chirping happily over the warm weather. It had been raining for days, and now that it was over the forest surrounding the village was full of life. In the Hyuuga compound they had just finished lunch, and Neji had gone back to training with Hiashi.

Hanabi was watching her cousin with a slight hint of jealousy. After Neji had come to get recognized by her father she had been left out. She had always been her father's favorite ever since she was born, and now that had just changed. It had been a year since Naruto, who beat her cousin, ventured out to train with the Sannin Jiraya. She didn't understand why he got recognized for being **beaten**, while she had needed to beat her younger sister to get recognized. What was so good about being defeated anyway?

She shook her head. Her father was so mysterious. She had to work her way up, but that Neji just seemed to get things his ways. Of course, Hanabi didn't really think about that he actually needed to figure out all things **she** learned from her father, on **his own**. She found it all very unfair. After a few minutes she gave up a sigh and decided that she couldn't stay there. She needed to get away - Far away.

She turned around only to face her older sister, who was bringing some tea to Neji and their father. She gave up a rude "Hello" before walking past Hinata, who quietly greeted her back. That was probably the only thing she really liked about her sister. She was so quiet all the time. She went outside and took a deep breath of relief. Finally some alone time. She needed that. Now where was she going to go? She stood there a while, thinking.

Then she made decision and started to walk in the direction of the village gate. She needed to get out of the village. And she felt the need to destroy something. She knew exactly where to go for that. It had happened a few times before, when she got pissed off at her father, or when she got pissed off at the family in general. Sometimes she just got so tired of it all. She knew that she wasn't really allowed to go out of the village, but she didn't care. When she needed it, she did.

At least it wasn't that hard to sneak out of the village unnoticed. She had done it so many times she didn't have any problems with it. The big problem was to avoid Kiba and Akamaru when they were out for their training nearly every week. Luckily they had a mission now, so she wouldn't have to bother with that either.

It happened that her father wondered where she had been, but all she said was that she went to one of her friends. And of course he wondered why she hadn't told him, but she let those questions slide and didn't answer, which usually annoyed him. But if she was mad at him, why would she care? She let out a sigh again. It wasn't that far now. She would soon be able to let out all that anger she shut in. On something people wouldn't care if it was left unharmed or not.

Flowers. Yes, flowers were perfect for such things. Yes, flowers in the wild, on a field that they always grew back on, no one noticed, no one cared. That worked very well. She felt like she was kicking Neji, who was just as perfect as those flowers. And did she feel bad for destroying those flowers? No, why would she? They just grew back again. And it's not like they had a soul anyway. They really did remind her of Neji, who got his ass kicked, by a failure too for that fact, but just got something good out of it. She replaced old flowers with new ones. There wasn't really anything bad with that now was it?

Why should she bother thinking about those flowers? It was just unnecessary. She was thinking too much, definitely. How Kiba always said that Hinata was a misunderstood flower. What a joke! She was so pissed off at her family right now. And those thoughts only built up her anger towards them. She kicked a rock on the ground. Yeah, that helped a little. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself down. Soon there, she told herself, soon there. Soon would she be able to let out all anger. Feel that relief and the feeling that a huge burden lifted from her shoulder.

That was just what she needed right now. And she had needed that too much for her own good this last year. That just couldn't be healthy. She strayed away from the path she walked on into the forest on its side. That field she went to nearly every week these days. Why did she get so mad at her family? She didn't really know, but she felt alone. She felt like she wasn't accepted, like she didn't fit in there. And it was, in fact, a little painful for her to watch her sister get looked down on by her father.

And the pressure she felt on herself, she just had to be so perfect. But she wasn't as much of a genius as her cousin. And she noticed that her father was expecting that. She felt like she had to be the heir her father had never gotten; a replacement for Hinata. And that her father now focused more on Neji just confused her. Why did she have so much expectation on her? Argh, how she hated that.

"Look closely now," her father would tell her every time she was watching him and Neji train, like she could learn something really important from it. She did look, and she didn't learn anything. She had during Neji's fight against Naruto, but after that she had taken in everything she needed to improve. But, she didn't really want to improve that much. She didn't want to work her ass off to please her father. She didn't need to do that, unlike her sister. So she didn't.

But she had noticed how badly Hinata wanted to improve, and she respected her for that. But why did her father think **she **needed to do that? She learned very quickly, and she didn't need to work hard. She was a genius, just like Neji. At least that was what her father told her. But now, he didn't encourage her as much as before. She missed that father figure that used to be there, and that now only showed to Neji, like her father sympathized for him or something.

Oh good, now she was finally there; the field with flowers that no one cared about. The place she could always rely not to bother her anger towards it all; her life, her family, her friends, everything. Why couldn't it just all work out? She kicked a flower. Why, why, why; the constant question always spinning around in her mind. Why did she feel so ignored? Why did she hate everything? Why did she need to please everyone? Why, why, why? For every time she asked herself why, she kicked a flower. Every time she increased the power of her kicks.

That felt good, very good. All those beautiful flowers that disappeared under her feet, all the beauty she felt like destroying in her own life, so that hers could get some room. This all represented what she wanted to happen. Beauty to be destroyed and replaced by her own, all because she felt so left out, like no one cared. No one cared about her.

And there she walked, lost in her thoughts and misery, unaware of a certain walking plant approaching her position. He had been watching her enter the field, and couldn't help but see her depression. He was a little curious, and she did looks tasty, as his dark side pointed out. The other half had to agree. So he decided to pay her a little… "visit".

When he got closer he noticed that she was yelling something. He tried to hear what, but when he couldn't, he moved closer.

"STUPID… FAMILY… THAT… FAVORITES… PEOPLE!" He heard her yell, and watched her kick a flower for each word.

_Hmmm… Better do something about that_, the light half thought.

_**Why? **_The other half asked.

_Because she seems to be troubled_.

_**Why should w**__**e care?**_

_I don't know… But if we gain her trust she'll become an easier target._

_**Oh yeah… That's true. Fine, we'll check.**_

So Zetsu scurried his way towards her. He stopped when he was behind her and smirked. Small girls always tasted the best.

"Why are you kicking those flowers," the light side spoke.

Hanabi jumped from the voice, shut in a scream and quickly turned around. She widened her eyes when she saw the… plant? What? That couldn't be right. A plant? With two halves, white and dark. What the…? And he… she? Was walking? Wait… Judging by the voice it was definitely a man. But **it** seemed to fit more.

Why was she kicking them? Wasn't that obvious? If he had heard her he should know. And should she say it? Why did he ask? And where the hell did all these questions come from? Stop thinking, that's just unnecessary. How many times had she told herself that? She couldn't remember, but it sure as hell didn't work. She had been quiet long enough now… Better say something.

"I…" She started.

But… What should she say? Oh damn, she had no idea. She's probably better without saying anything at all, or she might say something completely wrong.

"You do know that flowers are life as well, right?" The light side asked her.

She raised an eyebrow. What? Flowers are life? He couldn't be serious. Flowers don't have a chakra system or something like that. Not even one that isn't fully developed. No chakra system, no soul. She knew that was true. So what the hell did he mean?

"What do you mean?" She asked. "They don't have a chakra system, so they don't have a soul. So how the hell can they live?"

"**That's kind of a stupid question isn't it?**" The dark half spoke, and his voice made her shudder. "**Why do you need a soul to be alive?**"

Why? Wasn't that obvious? She felt like she was the smartest one here. What was he thinking? Or… Wait just a minute. Did the other half just speak in a different voice? There couldn't possibly be two people in one? She forced herself not to panic and run away when she answered.

"It's just logical," she said carefully. "Life is the soul itself. It makes you feel, think and… Love… Hate… Flowers can't do that."

"Flowers," Zetsu said and picked one of those she kicked away up, "are different kind of lives. They're driven by just an instinct to do what they exist for; to breed. They do live. The reason they don't have chakra systems is because they don't need one. They can't move, or feel, nor think. They're just a life force that no one has yet noticed."

Hanabi just stared at him. That was the most… deep description of something she had ever heard. Who was he? She had never heard something like that before. He couldn't possibly be a plant. But how else would he understand that?

"How do you know that?" She dared herself to ask, sounding less rude then before.

He had been looking at the flower, and glanced up at her with a curious look at her question. He seemed to get quite amused by it, as he actually smiled.

"**We **just know," he answered and handed her the flower. "They might not feel pain, but you're killing them when you kick them off the ground like that. You're making it impossible for them to breed and spread over the field, and that alone hurts them, even if they can't feel it."

She took the flower in her hand and stared at it. He wasn't serious now was he? It hurt them but they can't feel it? That just didn't make sense. But how come she suddenly felt more… secure in his presence? He wasn't really a nice sight. She smiled a little.

"You asked why I was kicking the flowers, right?" She asked quietly.

"**Yes we did,**" he answered.

_I wonder if something is wrong with her._

_**Why do you bother so much?**_

_I don't know… I guess I just care…_

_**That's not like you. What do you see in her?**_

_I… I have no idea… But hush now, I want to hear what she says._

_**Fine.**_

"I kick them because… I need it," she said. "I need it to get rid of all my anger so that I don't let it out on my family, even though I really want to."

"**Why are you mad at your family?**"

Should she really answer this? He… No, **they** were complete strangers to her. And she was a stranger to them. So she had said enough by now, probably. She shook her head.

"I don't think I should say anymore," she forced herself to say. "I barely know you. I don't even know your name."

_**We shouldn't say it.**_

_I kno__w. But… She can't possibly have heard of it before, now can she?_

_**Don't even think about saying it. You know how strict Pein is when it comes to that.**_

_I know that. But she's just a little kid. She can't possibly be__ even a Genin yet._

_**Telling our name is a bad idea. Don't do it. Why do you want to know so much about her anyway?**_

_I told you that I don't know._

_**I can hear your thoughts; I know that there is a special reason.**_

_Alright, fine. I sympathize for her. Happy now?_

_**Why do you sympathize for her?**_

_I think that I know how she feels. You do too, right?_

And there was a pause.

_**Yes, I do.**_

_I'll tell her._

He waited for an objection, but it didn't come.

"Then I'll tell you," he told the girl. "Our name is Zetsu."

Hn… Took him long enough to say it. Now she knew hi… their's name. Wonder if she had heard that somewhere… No, she probably hadn't. But should she really tell hers? He was probably someone from another village. And she was a Hyuuga. And many people were after the Buyakugan. Maybe it was enough by just saying Hanabi… Yes, that should work.

"My name is Hanabi," she said after a while.

"Still not interested in telling us?" He asked her.

She scratched her chin. Now that she at least knew his name… That didn't really make any difference now did it? But she really wanted to just tell someone about everything, and this weird guy had just popped out of nowhere.

"I feel… Ignored," she decided to say after a while. "I feel like no one cares for me. I hate them all. No… I hate my cousin. Not all of them."

"**You hate them you say? Hate is a strong word.**"

"I really do hate them," she said with more anger in her voice this time. "I hate my sister, my father, but the most I hate my cousin; that overconfident, "genius" bastard!"

_**I think I'm starting to like her.**_

"And what did your cousin do to make you hate him?"

"He took my space. I was the pride of my family, and he took it." Her voice was now trembling in rage. "He took father's attention away from me. I hate him for that." She clenched her fists. "I want to do the same to him as I did to these flowers. I want to hurt him so much that he screams. I want him gone, out of my life."

_**I'm definitely starting to like her.**_

She heard the dark side chuckle. She really had lost herself right there. And it felt good to let out all that anger she had shut in. It felt better then kicking those flowers, better to just scream out load in the middle of nowhere, because now someone was listening. Someone was listening to her complaints, and they seemed to like it. Well, at least one of them.

She kept complaining about her life, with a few chuckles from the dark side of the strange man, and the light side listening and asking her questions. She had a few times let out an angry scream and nearly kicked away some flowers. She would've, if Zetsu didn't stop her. She talked for a whole hour before she finally didn't find anything more to say, Zetsu watching her wide-eyed.

"You seem to have a pretty rough life," he then said. "**Indeed.**"

"Why do you listen to me like this?" She asked. "No one ever listens."

"Do I need a reason?"

She lifted her eyebrows. He didn't need a reason? He couldn't possibly be doing this because he just wanted to. Did someone ever do? A creepy guy like this wanted to listen to her. Did she just find someone to talk to? That couldn't be. A complete stranger was listening to her, not even her own family did. She must be dreaming or something, this couldn't possibly be real.

Now she was thinking too much again. "I guess not," she decided to say. "But why do you seem to care so much?"

"**Because,**" Zetsu answered. "We kinda know how you feel."

"How can you…?"

"**Isn't it obvious? We look like a plant,**" he answered her question. "People think we are a monster. And you can nearly call us that. **That was what you thought we were at first right?**"

Was it really? She couldn't remember. She tried to, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't.

"I don't know," she had to answer. "I can't remember."

"I see… I…"

_**DON'T TELL HER THAT STUPID!**_

_Hn… Fine._

"I… What?" She asked curiously.

"**Don't mind that.**"

She shrugged and looked up at the sun. "SHIT!" She cried out. "I should be home by now. Father will kill me."

And before Zetsu had a chance to say anything she had sprinted off over the field. The light side let out a little laugh.

"What a cute girl. **Whatever…**"

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I really enjoyed writing it. The next chapter will show Zetsu's thoughts and feelings. Both of them, yes. That'll be hard. xP

Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are always appriciated.


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